On the pampas, in 1897, two brothers, solitary, aggressive, and quarrelsome, guarded their solitude. They were bound by a deep affection: to make an enemy of one was to reckon with two. One day, Cristiano, the older brother, brings Juliana to live with him. Dark-haired and beautiful, Juliana is, in fact, also a servant from the very first day. But with her, discord enters that ranch for the first time. Eduardo, the younger brother, grows sullen, drinks alone, and gets along with no one. He also brings a young woman to live with him, but sends her away that same day. He is in love with Juliana, who is his brother's property. One morning, Cristiano, dressed in his finest clothes, goes off to a party at a neighboring ranch. He takes leave of his brother: "Juliana stays. If you want, you can use her." From that day on, they share the woman. Juliana serves them both with animal submissiveness. But the arrangement could not last: the union begins to make their lives hell. One day, they take her to town and sell her to a brothel. They even come to believe they are saved. But they cannot resist: in secret, they visit her at the brothel. When they find out, they decide to buy her back. The return to their old life together is a tragic experience. Cain walks with them. And, stirred up by the minuano, the destructive southern wind, a terrible, almost biblical ending befalls the solitary world of the two brothers.

The film won Best Actor for José de Abreu, Best Musical Score for Astor Piazzolla, Best Director for Carlos Hugo Christensen, and Best Cinematography for Antônio Gonçalves at the Gramado Film Festival, as well as Best Actress for Maria Zilda at the Canada International Film Festival.